Ed Ryan’s Fantasy Football advice for Week 4

Even though Aaron Rodgers hasn’t produced anything for me on the field, off the field he has been so useless that he’s given me something to write about.

In fantasy quarterback scoring since 2008, Rodgers has ranked third, first, fourth, and third. That is why I selected him second overall and that is why I thought he would be a points machine and carry my squad.

Those who employ statistics to analyze sports often refer to a player’s “sample size” — the thinking being that examining too few games isn’t a true indicator of a player’s worth, so a bigger sample size is needed to reach accurate conclusions.

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Is 23 percent of someone’s regular season a legitimate sample size? Remember, in fantasy football, the regular season lasts 13 weeks. So with nearly a quarter of the season complete, Rodgers is ranked 21st among quarterbacks, and I am left wondering if I need to blow up my team.

Rodgers appears healthy and has weapons, but if you’ve watched Green Bay, you know that its weak offensive line allows relentless pressure on the quarterback. If Rodgers doesn’t get injured first, a stretch of mediocre play is a possibility.

I haven’t decided what to do, but if I hold onto him, I’m going to remember the name Graham Harrell. If Rodgers gets hurt, Harrell will be under center for Green Bay.

Three up:

Golden Tate, WR, Seattle: Thanks to some poor officiating, Tate’s statistics have been padded, but in the two games he has played, Tate has developed a rapport with rookie quarterback Russell Wilson.

Daniel Thomas, RB, Miami: Reggie Bush is worth starting if healthy, and he’s downplaying his knee injury. But in his first six seasons, Bush has averaged 12.5 games. He’s not exactly an iron man. Thomas will get carries if Bush is out. Third-stringer Lamar Miller is also an option.

Christian Ponder, QB, Minnesota: He’s available and would be an underrated pickup if you trade someone like Rodgers for running backs and receivers.